Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2023: It’s Time to Secure Our World

As someone far wiser than we are once said, “There is only one way to eat an elephant: a bite at a time.”

And while we’re definitely not recommending anyone eat an elephant, we are totally on board with this one-bite-at-a-time approach when it comes to helping secure our online world.  

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, a global effort to help everyone stay safe and protected when using technology whenever and however you connect. And new this year — the awareness event’s 20th anniversary — the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the National Cybersecurity Alliance have announced a Cybersecurity Awareness Month theme: “Secure Our World.” 

“Plumas Bank is proud to champion this online safety and education initiative every October,” said Sarena Barker, Plumas Bank Senior Vice President and Digital Banking Officer. “Our year-round goal is to give each of the businesses, individuals, and families we interact with the necessary tools and resources to create a more secure online world. And while there are all kinds of ways to stay safe online, even just practicing the basics can make a huge difference.” 

So let’s dive into these bite-size basics — here are four key cybersecurity best practices:

1. Understanding the benefits of using a password manager and dispelling existing myths around password manager security and ease of use
2. Turning on multifactor authentication on personal devices and business networks
3. Recognizing and reporting phishing — still one of the primary threat actions used by cybercriminals today
4. Installing updates on a regular basis and turning on automated updates

Ready to explore each of these topics? Belly up to the digital buffet and feast your eyes on this sampling menu of cybersecurity tips. 

Bite-Size Basic #1: Create Strong Passwords & Use Password Managers

While passwords are a routine aspect of digital life that we all love to hate, they’re vitally important. If you’re looking for the basics on constructing these annoying-but-necessary keys to our cybersecurity, here’s some guidance about how to create passwords that are long, strong and memorable.

So once you’ve created the world’s best password (or at least, options that do NOT involve your kids’ birthdays) how do you remember them all? 

You don’t! Instead, let password managers do the heavy lifting for you. 

Password managers are pieces of software that often take the form of apps or plugins that automatically store your passwords and can autofill them when you arrive at a site. The best aspect of a password manager is that you only must recall one password — the one that unlocks the password manager. Once you’ve done that, you’ll have access to your own personal list of sites and corresponding passwords.  

Need more info? Check out this Plumas Bank article for more info about this topic: Your Simple, Practical Guide to Creating Safe Passwords.

Bite-Size Basic #2: Enable Multi-Factor Authentication

Next, it’s important to enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) on all personal devices and business networks. This requires you to input two out of the three types of credentials — most often described as something you know, something you have and something you are.

1. Something you know is called the knowledge factor (like a password, PIN number or answer to a security question).
2. Something you have is called the possession factor (tokens, fobs, an ID card — and an increasingly popular random code option, which is often autogenerated and sent to your phone or email).
3. Something you are is called the inherence factor (including a fingerprint, retinal scan or facial recognition).

Convinced yet? It’s easy to employ, takes just a few extra steps and secures your online access. If you’re looking for more details about MFA, check out yet another Plumas Bank resource: Enabling Multi-Factor Authentication: Extra Steps, BIG Safety ROI.

Bite-Size Basic #3: Don’t Get Hooked by Phishing Schemes

Now it’s time for something “phishy” on our cybersecurity sampling menu. In general terms, phishing is how bad actors fraudulently use electronic means like e-mail and texts as lures, attempting to hook the "fish" (that’s you) for passwords and financial data.

The goal is to get you to take some sort of action in response to a phone call, voicemail, text or other communication. These messages often: 

• Create a false sense of urgency — someone is asking you to do something right away.
• Request sensitive information, like your logon credentials, a password or account number.
• Include unexpected links or attachments.

“Phishing schemes usually culminate in asking you to do something — like open an attachment, click a link, or divulge personal details — often accompanied by a scary message about what happens if you don’t do so immediately,”

Barker said.

Here’s how to leave this phishing bait behind: 

• Never open an attachment or click a link unless you are 100% sure of its legitimacy.
• Beware of websites that look real but have typos or are missing the “https” in the address bar.
• Keep in mind that no company will ever call you asking for your logon credentials to a website. (It’s a different story when you call them, as they may ask for account numbers or a password you’ve created for them to verify your identity.) 

“If you accidentally click a link or supply some information that you now feel suspicious about, notify someone immediately — like the legitimate source where the communication was allegedly from,” Barker recommends. 

Ready to throw back this particular kind of “phish”? Check out this Plumas Bank article for more info: Don’t Take the Bait When It Comes to Phishing Scams.

Bite-Size Basic #4: Install Updates & Automate the Process

You know what cybercriminals love? When you don’t update your software. 

“The hackers that are out there see outdated software as an open invitation,” Barker describes. “They are made aware of vulnerabilities because of the very software updates that companies are advising you to download, so when you fail to follow through, this is their opportunity to exploit them.”

Here are the steps you need to take:

1. Turn on automatic updates.
2. Keep your eyes open for update notifications for any software that doesn’t update automatically — and respond to them in a timely manner.
3. If you don’t have automatic updates or receive notifications when your software needs an update, remind yourself to check quarterly for any available updates. Create a recurring calendar reminder to check your in-house software websites for any updates they may be offering.
4. Make sure that you only download software updates from trusted sources, like the website of your software developer or device manufacturer — and not a pop-up window demanding immediate action.

For a more detailed look at all of these tips about software updates and more, check out this Plumas Bank recommended reading: Update Your Software and Apps. 

Now About the Digital Elephant in the Room…

When it comes to all four of these bite-sized basics, there’s a common bottom line: You need to be proactive in order to ensure your digital cybersecurity and identify protection. We encourage you to read more about Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2023 and learn more about these important initiatives. You can also follow and use the hashtag #CybersecurityAwarenessMonth and #SecureOurWorld throughout the month. 

We at Plumas Bank work diligently year-round to stay ahead of cyber threats and to keep client information safe and secure. But cybersecurity is a shared responsibility, so we all must do our part to #SecureOurWorld — one bite at a time!

Sample Our Full Cybersecurity Menu